Pain
That was the only thing Kael could feel
It surged through every vein in his body like burning fire
"Aghhh…!"
Kael rolled across the stone floor, clutching his chest. The black crystal had completely vanished inside him, yet the energy it carried was tearing him apart from within
His vision blurred
The ancient chamber spun around him
Then the cold voice echoed again inside his mind
[System Integration: 10%]
"What… system…?" Kael gasped
He had never heard of such a thing before
The voice continued without emotion
[Host Body Reconstruction Initiated]
Suddenly the pain intensified
Kael screamed
It felt as if invisible blades were cutting through his muscles and bones
Then
Everything stopped
Silence filled the underground chamber
Kael lay there breathing heavily
Sweat soaked his clothes
A faint glow appeared in front of him
A transparent screen slowly formed in the air
PRIMORDIAL SYSTEM
Host: Kael Veyron
Race: Human
Realm: Mortal Body Stage 1
Aether Affinity: None
Abilities:
• Aether Absorption (Locked)
• Origin Energy (Dormant)
Quest Available:
Survive the Awakening
Reward: System Activation
Kael stared at the floating screen in disbelief
"This… can't be real"
He waved his hand through it
His fingers passed through the glowing interface like mist
But the screen remained
"Is this… power?"
Suddenly the ground shook
Dust fell from the ceiling
Kael looked around nervously
The chamber walls were cracking
"Great…"
He had just fallen into an underground ruin—and now it looked like it was about to collapse
Another message appeared
[Emergency Quest Activated]
Escape the Ruins
Time Limit: 10 minutes
Failure: Death
Kael's eyes widened
"Death?!"
The chamber trembled again
A huge stone slab crashed down behind him
He jumped up immediately
"Alright… alright!"
Kael looked around quickly
There was only one tunnel leading deeper into the ruin
Not exactly comforting
But the exit behind him was already buried
"Guess I don't have a choice"
He ran
The tunnel stretched endlessly through darkness
Strange carvings covered the walls
They looked ancient
Symbols Kael had never seen before
Suddenly
A low growl echoed ahead
Kael froze
Two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness
Then the creature stepped forward
It was a massive Stonefang Wolf
A magical beast
Kael's heart nearly stopped
"Why… is there a beast down here?!"
Stonefang Wolves were far stronger than normal animals
Even trained hunters struggled to kill them
And Kael?
He had no Aether
The wolf bared its fangs
Kael slowly stepped backward
The system screen appeared again
Enemy Detected
Stonefang Wolf
Threat Level: High
Suggested Action: Fight or Die
Kael swallowed
"Fight…?"
He had never fought a magical beast before
The wolf lunged
Kael barely dodged as claws slashed through the air
The impact shattered stone where he had been standing
"If that hits me once, I'm dead!"
Kael grabbed a broken rock from the ground
The wolf charged again
Kael threw the rock directly at its eyes
THUD!
The beast recoiled slightly
Kael didn't hesitate
He sprinted forward and grabbed a sharp stone shard from the ground
The wolf recovered quickly and lunged again
Kael jumped aside
And drove the shard into its neck
The wolf howled
Blood splattered across the floor
But it wasn't enough
The beast swung its paw
CRASH!
Kael was thrown against the wall
Pain exploded in his ribs
He coughed violently
The wolf slowly approached again
Kael struggled to stand
"So this… is how it ends…?"
The system screen flashed suddenly
[Emergency Function Activated]
Origin Energy Released
A surge of power flooded Kael's body
Warm
Explosive
Alive
His eyes widened
"What… is this feeling?"
The wolf leapt again
But this time
Kael moved faster
Much faster
He stepped aside effortlessly
Then struck
His fist slammed into the wolf's skull
CRACK!
The beast collapsed instantly
Dead
Silence filled the tunnel
Kael stared at his own hands
His entire body trembled
"Did… I just kill it?"
The system screen appeared again
Enemy Defeated
Stonefang Wolf
Rewards:
• Experience +50
• Origin Energy Unlocked
Another message followed
[System Activation Complete]
Kael slowly exhaled
The powerless boy who could not cultivate…
Had just killed a magical beast
And something told him
This was only the beginning